Three-dimensional geometric manipulative device

ABSTRACT

A manipulative three-dimensional geometric device which is adjustable to various geometric patterns by manipulation of individual portions thereof for use as an educational and associative toy, the device also having utility as a storage means and as an article of furniture.

Mited States Patent [1 1 Silver [111 3,872,975 [451 Mar, 25,- 1975 1 THREE-DIMENSIONAL GEOMETRIC MANII ULATIVE DEVICE I [76] Inventor: Arnold Silver, 172 Manor Cres.,

New Brunswick, NJ. 08901 [22] Filed: Oct. 17, 1973 [2]] Appl. No.: 407,164

[fill 11.8.1171 ..211/178R,46/23.108/111, 217/14, 217/111, 229/8, 229/15, 229/23 R,

[51] lnt. Cl. A47f 5/10 [58] Field ofSearch ..211/149, 178 R;2l7/14, 217/46; 229/8, 23 R, 28 R, 41 R, 42, 15;

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,216,250 2/1917 Bittle 211/149X 2,539,966 l/1951 Orovig 229/28 R 3,201,894 8/1965 Resch 273/157 R X 3,484,019 12/1969 Hirota 220/6 X 3,550,310 12/1970 Bock-Greissau 273/155 X 3,596,396 8/1971 Thomson 46/24 X Prir nary Examiner-Roy D. Frazier Assistant Examiner-William E. Lyddane Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Arthur A. Jacobs, Esq.

[57] ABSTRACT A manipulative three-dimensional geometric device which is adjustable to various geometric patterns by manipulation of individual portions-thereof for use as an educational and associative toy, the device also having utility as a storage means and as an article of furniture.

6 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures THREE-DIMENSIONAL GEOMETRIC MANIPULA'IIVE DEVICE This invention relates to a-three-dimensional geometric device which is also utilizable for other functions, and it particularly relates to a geometric device of the aforesaid type which is both educational and functional.

Various geometric devices have heretofore been proposed, wherein the various facets of the geometric pattern have been associated with colors, numbers, letters and the like in order to provide association of ideas and patterns to the user. However, these prior devices were generally not adapted to be manipulated into a variety of different geometric configurations by selective finger control. They were, furthermore, generally cumbersome and complicated in structure, as well as expensive to manufacture. In addition, they had little utility outside of their educational function.

It is an object of the present invention to overcome the aforesaid disadvantages of such prior devices by providing a manipulable geometric device which is not only capable of utilizing a variety of selected associative geometric patterns but is capable of serving as a storage means and as an article of furniture.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a geometric device of the aforesaid type which is collapsible from an extended functional position to intermediate associative patterns as well as to a folded storage position by simple finger or hand manipulation.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a geometric device of the aforesaid type, which is simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture and simple to use.

Other objects and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following description when read in conjunction withthe accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a geometric device embodying the present invention, the device being shown in the fully expanded position.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the device of FIG. 1 when in fully collapsed or folded position, as viewed from right to left in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3-3 of FIG.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4-4 of FIG. I.

Referring now, therefore, in greater detail to the figures of the drawing wherein similar reference characters refer to similar parts, there is shown a geometricfoldable device, generally designated 10, which comprises a plurality of boxes or cubes, each of which is hollow and is defined by four closed sides forming the periphery thereof. The four closed sides define opposed open sides constituting the fifth and sixth sides of the cube. The four closed sides of each box are hinged to each other so that the box may be collapsed on itself when so desired.

When in fully expanded position, as shown in FIG. 1, the corner boxes in each plane are spaced from each other by a space equal in area to the area of one of the closed sides of the boxes. In this manner, box 12 is spaced from box 14 by an open area 16, box 18 is spaced from box 20 by an open area 22, box 24 is spaced from box 26 by an open area 28, and box 30 is spaced from the opposite corner box 32 (see FIG. 3) by a similar open area.

The boxes shown in FIG. 1, in addition to the abovementioned corner boxes, are box 36 between boxes 14 and 20, box 38 betweenboxes 24 and 30, box 40 'between boxes 12 and 30, box 42 between boxes 18 and 24, box 44 between boxes 20 and 26, box 46 between boxes 42 and 44, box 48 between boxes 34 and 36, and open area 50 between boxes 40 and 42.

In the sectional view shown in FIG. 3, it can be seen that below the open area 16 is a box 52, and below the box 48 is a center box 54. Below the box 54 is a box 56. The center box 54 is, therefore, bounded by the boxes 46, 48, 52 and 56.

In the sectional view shown in FIG. 4, it can be seen that below box 36 is another open area 58 and below this open area is a box 60. Below box 14 is a box 62. The open area 58 is, therefore, bounded by boxes 36, 44, 60 and 62.

The adjacent boxes have alternate open and closed faces in the sameplanes and theadjacent closed faces are-attached to each other in face-to-face relationship by any desirable means such as adhesive, staples, heatbonding, or the like, depending on the type of material used and the type of attachment desired.

The construction and arrangement of the boxes or cubes permits the device to be opened fully, as in FIG. 1 orto be collapsed fully,.as in FIG. 2, by merely grasping two opposed boxes and pulling outwardly into the expanded or open position or pushing inwardly into the closed or folded position. In this closed. position, the device assumes the position as shown in 'FIG. 2.

In addition to being movable from a fully closed to a fully open position, the device may be manipulated into different partially open positions to form a variety of different geometric patterns, or the individual boxes may, themselves, be opened, closed or partially opened independently of the remainder of the device to form other geometrical patterns.

The device may be made of any desirable material so long as there is a hinged connection between the four closed sides of each box. If the device is used purely as a finger or hand-manipulated toy, it may be relatively small and may be constructed of paper, soft plastic, or other flexible material, whereby the hinge connections are formed by folds in the material, as indicated in the drawings.

On the other hand, if the device is constructed of relatively rigid and strong material such as hard plastic, wood, metal, or other such structural material, the hinge connections may be formed by adhesive fabrics or tapes, or by any other standard type of mechanical hinge means. The device may, furthermore, be enlarged to any desired size so that, although the device and its individual boxes may still be manipulated by hand, when it is fully opened it may serve as a child's stool or seat and may also serve as a storage means for toys, books and the like. In the latter instance, the

open-sided boxes may serve as storage cubicles, with entrance andegress being through either of the open sides.

When used as a structural device such as a stool or storage means, the rigidity of the material may, itself, be sufficient to maintain the device in its open position. However, if so desired, any standard type of releasable securing means, such as clamps, pin and slot connections, bolts, screws or the like, may be used to releasably maintain the device in the expanded or open position or in any intermediate position between the fully expanded or fully closed positions.

1. An adjustable geometric device comprising a plurality of hollow boxes, each box having four closed sides and two opposed open sides defined by said closed sides, the four closed sides of each box hingedly connected together and being connected in face-toface relationship to those boxes which are adjacent thereto with the open sides of the adjacent boxes being disposed at right angles to each other, said device being expandable from a fully closed position wherein each box is flattened, with two adjacent closed sides thereof overlying the other two adjacent closed sides in face-toface relationship, to a fully open position wherein each of the closed sides of each box is in spaced opposed relationship to another closed side thereof to form a hollow cube.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein when said device is in fully open position, it is substantially square.

3. The device of claim l.wherein when said device is in fully open position there are eight corner boxes, four in one plane and four in a second plane, the corner boxes in. each plane being spaced from another linearally arranged corner box in the corresponding plane by a space equal to the area of one closed side of each box.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein each box may be individually manipulated from a closed to an intermediate to an open position.

5. The device of claim 1 constructed of flexible material.

6. The device of claim 1 constructed of relatively rigid material. I 

1. An adjustable geometric device comprising a plurality of hollow boxes, each box having four closed sides and two opposed open sides defined by said closed sides, the four closed sides of each box hingedly connected together and being connected in faceto-face relationship to those boxes which are adjacent thereto with the open sides of the adjacent boxes being disposed at right angles to each other, said device being expandable from a fully closed position wherein each box is flattened, with two adjacent closed sides thereof overlying the other two adjacent closed sides in face-to-face relationship, to a fully open position wherein each of the closed sides of each box is in spaced opposed relationship to another closed side thereof to form a hollow cube.
 2. The device of claim 1 wherein when said device is in fully open position, it is substantially square.
 3. The device of claim 1 wherein when said device is in fully open position there are eight corner boxes, four in one plane and four in a second plane, the corner boxes in each plane being spaced from another linearally arranged corner box in the corresponding plane by a space equal to the area of one closed side of each box.
 4. The device of claim 1 wherein each box may be individually manipulated from a closed to an intermediate to an open position.
 5. The device of claim 1 constructed of flexible material.
 6. The device of claim 1 constructed of relatively rigid material. 